Birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi (Roncole Verdi)

The modest house in Roncole Verdi where Giuseppe Verdi was born on 10 October 1813. His father Carlo ran an inn and grocery shop here; his mother Luigia was a spinner. A plaque from 1872, placed by the Pallavicino family who owned the building, records that they wished the house to remain as it was. In the small garden stands a bronze bust by sculptor Giuseppe Cantù, placed in 1913 for the centenary of the birth.

Inside, eight rooms tell the story of Verdi's childhood through a multimedia tour — tablets in each room show videos (subtitled) and an augmented reality app (CittAumentata) brings the spaces to life. The visit is self-guided and takes about thirty minutes. The rooms are bare and simple, exactly as they would have been: the effect is moving rather than spectacular.

Just across the road is the Church of San Michele Arcangelo, where the four-year-old Verdi first touched an organ and where he became organist at the age of ten. The two places together tell the story of a genius born in the humblest of circumstances.

Tip: consider the combined ticket (Casa Natale + Teatro Verdi + Casa Barezzi + Museo Tebaldi, €22) if you plan to visit multiple Verdi sites in Busseto. Tickets at the door or at the Tourist Office in Piazza Verdi, Busseto.